Rewriting the Past
by live0laugh0love0
Summary: The past doesn't always stay the past. Rick and Kate had Alexis sixteen years ago and fell apart shortly after. A love that wasn't meant to be. But now after all this time, what will come out of a surprise meeting in the precinct, and admittance to themselves that it never really was over? Set in season 1.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there!**

**I had a request to write a story based on this chapter, and I liked the idea, so here it is! This will be based in season 1. I'm not quite sure if it will be super long, but I'm going to let it flow and see what happens.**

**I know some have already seen this chapter in my one shot feed, but I wanted to start the story with it. **

**Please let me know what you think!**

**Enjoy!**

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"Hello, father." Alexis crossed her arms as he approached from holding. She raised an eyebrow, the parental roles reversed.

Rick strode up to Alexis and slung his arm around her shoulder, his smile smug. "Hello, daughter." Alexis hugged him, not being able to hold in a smile.

"I thought mom told you to stay out of trouble. You know how she likes to keep her work and her private life separate." Alexis couldn't help but scold him.

"When have I ever listened to your mother?" He pursed his lips at her.

She ignored him, going on to her next question. "I thought you said you were out of your cop phase, considering." Alexis rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to her father who still had his arm around her.

"Well sometimes I can't leave well enough alone. Besides, it's fun playing cop." _And being with a cop. _He didn't voice that last phrase, but thought it just the same.

"You know this isn't helping with the whole 'discrete' thing, remember?" Alexis glanced at Kate who was standing across the bullpen from them, and then back at her dad.

"No one knows, Alexis. Besides, she had to. Your mother or not, I got carried away. But what's the fun in behaving?"

"You wouldn't know." Alexis shrugged out of his hold when she saw Beckett approaching.

"What are you still doing here?" Beckett rounded the corner, her eyes wide at the sight of Castle, and her eyes growing bigger still when she noticed Alexis standing in the middle of the precinct. She could see Espo and Ryan coming from the other direction.

"Hello, mother." Alexis raised an eyebrow at Kate.

"Hi, hun." Kate smiled at her daughter, still keeping an eye on the boys.

"I can't believe you actually cuffed him! Did he cry?"

Before she could answer, the boys approached and were standing next to them. Espo had heard their exchange, and his curiosity got the best of him. "Hun? Didn't you just meet her?"

"No." Beckett cleared her throat. She hadn't planned on telling them about her daughter in this way. Frankly, she hadn't planned on telling them any time soon. It wasn't that she didn't love Alexis, because she did, so much. And it wasn't that she regretted it, you could never regret your child. And it wasn't even that she didn't love him, because she did. They were just too different for each other. But it _was_ hard enough making it in this line of work as a female, and being a single mother with joint custody and only seeing your daughter on the weekends opened up a whole new can of worms. A can that she just didn't want to open right now. But, it was now or never. She took a deep breath before revealing her secret. "Espo, Ryan, Alexis is my daughter."

There was silence for a moment before the two looked at each other. Ryan snorted sending them both into hysterics. "Very funny, Beckett!"

"Yeah, come on Beckett. You've never been any good at practical jokes, and this isn't even a good one!" Espo was bent over his desk clutching his side from laughter.

"I'm not kidding guys." She looked at the ground before pulling Alexis to her side. Alexis simultaneously put her arms around Kate.

Both men stopped laughing when she did this. They looked at Beckett and then to Alexis, over to Castle and back to Beckett, straightening up immediately. "Oh shit."

"Ever notice how I don't work weekends?"

Espo and Ryan stood stiff as boards, their jaws on the floor. They nodded in unison.

"And how I have most holidays off?"

Again, they nodded.

"And those phone calls I take privately?"

"Yup."

"And personal days and vacations in the summer."

"Mhmm."

"I didn't tell you guys because I didn't know how you would react."

"You mean to tell me that you two. And now you have. And you didn't. And now they're. But."

"Espo! Yes, Alexis is our daughter." She gestured to herself and Castle, trying to get it through their heads that she, in fact, had a daughter with Richard Castle the novelist.

"But I thought you were just a fan?" Ryan wrinkled his brow trying to put the pieces together.

"Who do you think got him to start writing?" She smirked and glanced at Castle who was standing against the wall behind them, watching the show unfold.

"So you were like an item?" Espo pointed at the two of them.

She nodded. "Yeah, sixteen years ago. And then we had Alexis, and we fell apart after that. But we maintain a relationship for her." She held Alexis closer.

"You're a mom?" Ryan raised his voice, still not convinced.

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Beckett pointed a finger over her mouth to shush him. They were taking this weirdly.

"You're not a redhead though."

"Have you seen his mother?" Her brow arched involuntarily.

"No."

"That explains it."

"So you two _didn't_ just meet?" Ryan again had his eyebrows and forehead scrunched together, trying to piece it all together.

"Nope." Kate pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.

"Then why did you cuff him? Why didn't you just talk to him or bring him in without the cuffs?"

"I can answer that one." Alexis stepped up, looking at her dad, who had yet to comment, and back to her mom. She raised an eyebrow, something both of her parents did. "What's the fun in that?"

Espo and Ryan exchanged a look again. "Yup, she's your daughter."

"Wow, I had no idea!" Beckett rolled her eyes, throwing her hands in the air; the sarcasm was practically shooting off of her. She changed the subject quickly. "Enough about my personal life, don't you two have paperwork to do?"

"Yeah." Both men said together, sensing story time was just about over. They turned to give the three some privacy.

"I should get back to work. I'll see you tomorrow at my place, okay?" She said facing the redhead.

"I'll be there at four like always." Alexis smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Okay, make sure you study tonight so we can chat tomorrow night."

"I will." Alexis smiled at her mom.

"Love you."

"Love you more." She hugged her mom before wondering down the hall to wait for her dad who was still standing against the wall quietly. Kate turned around to look at him once Alexis was out of sight. "What?"

"You didn't have to tell them, you know." He had his arms folded over his chest.

"I know, I wanted to." She crossed her arms as well, mirroring him.

He stepped close to her, his voice a whisper. "Maybe you'd _want _to come over later?"

"Get the hell out." Beckett rolled her eyes and pointed to where Alexis had wandered off to. She couldn't help but smile, though as he threw his arms up in protest.

"Kidding. Kinda." He backed up and waved over his shoulder. "Bye, Kate."

She turned, biting her lip. He really was a jackass.

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**xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi there!**

**I can't believe the response to the first chapter. THANK YOU! You all are the best.**

**Everyone should check out LillyLovesCaskett. I beta for her and she has a story coming up that we're working on together.**

**Enjoy!**

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Friday night, and Castle found himself dropping Alexis off as he always did. Kate's apartment was just five minutes from his own, but the only time he ever saw the inside was when he was dropping off their daughter; most of the time.

"So, have you talked to her?" Alexis met her dad's stride as they walked down the hall of Kate's apartment building. She was eager for answers ever since the precinct incident. She had never thought in a million years that they would be "exposed" in such a way. But her dad was, well, a child, and it didn't seem so one in a million after all.

"Not any more than I already do." Castle rounded the corner and poked Alexis in the side.

"Why not?" She jumped back but caught up to him again.

"Why would I?" Castle gave her a look.

"Why wouldn't you?" Alexis jumped around him as he walked. "I saw the way you looked at each other when she put you in _jail_!"

"I wasn't in jail, Alexis, I was in holding. And we didn't look at each other any differently than we already do. You know it's complicated."

"It doesn't have to be complicated." Alexis mumbled under her breath so that her dad couldn't hear. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want her parents to be together. But it wasn't her decision to make, so she made subtle hints whenever she could, trying desperately to show them that they could be together, that they could be a family.

They rounded one last corner and found themselves in front of 317. Alexis knocked twice, twisting the knob, and walking in on her own. "Mom?"

"In the kitchen!" They heard her call out from the other room. The smell of coffee wafted from the kitchen, mixed with Kate's signature dinner, spaghetti; one of three things she actually could cook when Alexis was over.

Alexis put her bag on the couch as Kate walked into the room. "Hey, sweetie."

"Hey." Alexis smiled and gave her mom a hug.

"How was school?"

"Easy. Oh, but I have so much to tell you!"

"Okay." Kate laughed. "We can talk over dinner. Can you go check the pasta for me?"

Alexis snapped her fingers and pointed in the direction of the kitchen. "Got it."

"Thank you." Kate called over her shoulder and then noticed who was standing in her doorway. She closed the gap, standing just feet from him.

"Hello." He smirked as he always did, leaning on the doorframe just enough so that she couldn't slam the door in his face.

"Hi, Rick." She bit her lip. He drove her crazy just by standing there; she couldn't tell if she liked it or hated it.

"And how are you this evening?" Him and that damn smirk got her every single time. He didn't even have to try.

"You just had to walk her all the way up, didn't you?" The only time he did so was when he was avoiding work, there was something wrong with Alexis, or he was too bored to function.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Oh just lovely." She exaggerated, folding her arms over her chest.

"Now that I'm here, right?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Oh please."

"You're about as good at lying as you are at cooking, Katherine."

She took a step forward, poking his chest and narrowing her eyes. "And you're about as good at being an ass as you are breathing, Richard!"

"I am pretty good, aren't I?"

Kate was always shocked at his immaturity. "Stop."

"Why, Detective, do you like that, when I breathe?" He leaned in close to her neck, breathing seductively, his lips just inches from her flesh. He touched her hip, sending shivers down her spine but making her want to punch him all the same.

She took a step back, poking his chest again. "Funny. If Alexis wasn't here I'd smack you."

"Ooh, don't tempt me." Castle raised an eyebrow at her, pursing his lips at her. "My safe word is apples." The grin that played on his face was nothing short of a complete and total child.

Beckett rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous."

"Let's _get_ ridiculous."

"You do know I have a gun, right?"

"Even better." Rick gestured to her, still leaning casually in the door way.

"Is there any reason why you're still here?"

"You haven't told me to leave yet, so." If he didn't wipe that stupid smirk off his face she really was going to hit him. Hard. "Plus whatever it is you're cooking actually smells good."

"Staying?" Kate breathed out obnoxiously.

"Now that's no invitation." He squinted his eyes, taking half a step back.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Castle?" She rolled her eyes for the millionth time, her annoyance for his antics skyrocketing.

"Can't." He breathed out a laugh. "I have somewhere to be."

She gave him am all knowing look. Ri-di-cu-lous.

"Not like that." He ducked his head, lowering his voice and averting eye contact. "I have a chapter due or I'm in trouble."

"Uh huh. Not surprised." Kate pulled her hair back and combed through it with her hands. "You should really learn to do what you're told."

"You and I both know that that's never going to happen." Just then, his phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID, wincing just a bit. "I have to take this. See you Sunday night."

"Goodbye." She waved obnoxiously, shutting the door as he answered and heard yelling from his publicist on the other end. When she finally re-entered the kitchen, Alexis was straining the pasta and putting it back in the pot, mixing in the sauce as she stirred.

"Well that was an awfully long conversation." Alexis gave her mom the look; the look she had acquired from both parents over the years. An arched eyebrow, the pursed lips, and crossed arms, and the occasional pop of a hip; _the look_. "Longer than usual."

Kate drummed her nails on the back of her chair. "It was just Rick being Rick."

"Yeah, yeah, He's Richard Castle. I get it, but what did you guys talk about?" Alexis scooped pasta onto two plates as she talked, trying to get her mother to reveal the details.

"You know you're dad, Lex." Kate tried to change the subject, pulling her chair out and sitting on one leg. She propped her head on her hand, trying to look casual.

"Yeah, and so do you! Mom."

"Alexis." Kate cut her off, rubbing her forehead. Strong will from both parents was exhausting sometimes. "Let's eat first. We can discuss your father later."

"Fine." Alexis carried two plates to the table with her, plopping down in the seat next to Kate. "I'll hold you to that." She pointed at Kate and smirked; yet another thing she and inherited and picked up on from the two of them.

"Oh trust me, little girl, I know." Kate pointed back, touching the very tip of her nose and smiled. "Now eat."

Kate hoped that that would divert the attention away from her and Rick for the time being. The last thing she needed was for their accidental public meeting to turn into something. It was nothing; mostly.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Hi there!**

**Finally, here's chapter 3! Sorry for the slow update. With working and training for cross country, I've been super busy. But better late than never, right?**

**Again, I cannot even begin to thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and follows. It means so much to know that so many of you are enjoying this story so far.**

**Enjoy!**

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Saturday mornings were Kate's favorite. It was the only day of the entire week that she let herself sleep in. She made sure all of her alarms were off and didn't even think about getting out and exercising. She checked and rechecked the blinds, making sure they were closed, no sun to wake her up earlier than she wanted to. On Saturdays, she waited for her eyes to open naturally, her body to twist and stretch itself awake, and for Alexis to tip toe into her room and snuggle under the covers until their hearts desired.

She laid there in the dark with her eyes still closed for a while, until she heard Alexis' door creak open down the hall. Kate rubbed her eyes, willing the last bits of sleep to succumb to the day.

She still hadn't opened her eyes when Alexis walked in. "Morning."

Kate opened her eyes and smiled. "Morning, sweetie. Sleep okay?"

"Mhm." Alexis pulled the covers back and climbed in next to Kate. She snuggled into her side, pulling the covers up over her shoulders. Kate flipped on the TV and turned the sound down, wanting to listen to the rain that was hitting her windows.

"What do you wanna do for breakfast?" Kate asked her, wrapping her arms around her girl.

"Pancakes?"

"Chocolate chip?"

"Now you're talkin'." Alexis smiled, holing out her fist for Kate to bump.

There was a long silence between the two, like most mornings, until Alexis spoke. "Mom?"

She had her eyes closed again. "Hmm?"

"Why aren't you and dad still together?" Her previous demeanor of craving answers vanished from last night, being replaced with a little voice, really, truly wanting to know why.

Kate froze for just a second before regaining her composure. She knew this was coming. She opened her eyes and thought about it for a second. "Things just happened."

She wasn't letting her mom off that easy. "I'm not a kid anymore, Mom, you can tell me." Alexis looked up at her from Kate's side. "And don't give me the "He's Rick Castle, writer extraordinaire!" thing. I know, I'm his daughter."

Kate laughed for a second. "Okay, okay, you're right." She paused, trying to find the right words to say. "We were in love for a long time, we really, truly were. Then we had you. We didn't have to be married just yet to know that we were a family and that we were happy. But we just started to fight a lot. He was stressed with writing, and I had just gotten into the academy. We were so caught up in everything we were doing and trying to do what was best for you that it just got hard. It was a chore almost. And then it was over." Kate wrapped her arms tighter around Alexis.

It was almost a whisper when Alexis spoke, as if she felt she was intruding. "Why?"

She sighed. "We had a fight. A big one."

"Did you want it to be over?"

She was glad she hadn't asked about the fight. It had been the worst, most heartbreaking fight she'd ever had with anyone in her entire life. "I don't know, Alexis, it's hard to say. We didn't, hadn't really worked for a while. But it's been a long time since then."

She thought back to that night that it ended. The night they had both screamed and cried and tore everything they had made completely apart. The night they went their separate ways, neither one of them strong enough to admit they shouldn't have.

Alexis spoke again, sparing Kate the details of her memories; thank God.

"Is that why you never dated or married anyone else, because you and him never really wanted it to end?"

She thought about it for a second, readjusting herself against the headboard. "I guess that could be it. I just never found anyone else. I know I always tell you it's complicated, but really it is. It's not a textbook kind of thing, you know?"

"I know." Alexis paused again. "Do you still love him?"

_Of course I do. _"I'll always love your father. He gave me you." She squeezed Alexis a little tighter, kissing the top of her head.

"It's just, when I see you guys together it just looks rights. Like when you're reading a really good book and the two characters fit. That's what you guys seem like."

"Think so?" Kate humored her, but she was honestly thinking about what her incredibly wise daughter had just told her. She was right, they were right, but that fight was more hurt than she'd ever experienced. It was raw and mean and so devastating. Before that, though, they _had_ been how Alexis described them; like two characters in a really good book. They went on cute dates and wrote each other love notes. Rick would plan picnics in the park, and she would attempt to make him a dinner from scratch.

Her favorite memory was any time they would lay in bed and talk about the future. They would lay, wrapped in each other's arms, writing a story between themselves. The over the top, extravagant life that they planned always included a huge house, one with countless rooms and secret passage ways. They dreamed of an endless backyard, with all the bells and whistles that a 'ruggedly handsome, world famous author' could afford. There were always lots of little kids, and a big, golden retriever running circles around them. He was a writer and she was a cop and they were so, so happy. They had it all planned out, and then they didn't.

"I know so. And don't you think it's, I don't know, fate or something that neither of you dated anyone else, and then he ends up in the precinct and then at the door last night? The universe is pretty smart. Maybe you two should just give in and let the universe do its job."

"You know, you're pretty smart for a kid." Kate smirked at Alexis.

Alexis shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips. "I know."

"Well now that I've had my philosophy and morality lessons for the morning, why don't we make breakfast?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Alexis shuffled out of bed, "I'll make the coffee."

Kate called from the bedroom, folding the comforter around the mattress. "God, what would I do without you?"

"I don't know, probably die or something. I'm pretty great." Alexis shouted from the kitchen, laughing at her own joke.

Kate giggled. "You're a piece of work." She threw each pillow onto the bed as she spoke.

"I'm the product of my father, what do you expect?"

Kate inched on her slippers and walked to the door. "Nothing less, my girl, nothing less."

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**I know some of you will probably be asking about the fight; all in due time. ;)**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Hi there!**

**Wow, I realize it's been way to long since I've posted, an you guys definitely deserve a chapter. Thank you so much for being so patient with me. I've been busier that expected recently, but it won't stop me from writing. Just might take a little longer.**

**Thank you a million times over for all of your reviews. I can't begin to tell you how great it makes me feel.**

**Enough of me!**

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Kate walked into work Monday morning with a coffee in one hand and a stack of files in the other. For the first time in a while, she thought they might have a quiet day in the precinct. She made her way to her desk and set down her files and turned towards Captain Montgomery's office. She nearly spit her coffee all over the floor when she saw that Castle was standing there, shaking hands with Montgomery. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve, her eyes bugging right out of her head.

He glanced over, then, waving her over. "Detective, glad you're here."

Kate took two steps into his office, glancing between the men in front of her. "Sir, what is this about?"

"It seems that Mr. Castle stumbled upon an idea for a new series of books while he was with us last. I've talked to the mayor and the commissioner, and they both agreed, along with myself, that Castle could shadow you for two weeks to study and get information."

"Do I get a say in this?" She put her hand on her hip.

Montgomery smiled at her. "No, not really."

Kate nodded, "Fantastic." She raised her eyebrow at Roy, and then turned to look at Castle who was sitting there grinning at her. She huffed, rolled her eyes, and scurried out of the office, her heels clicking loudly as she went.

"Wait, Kate." Castle shuffled up behind her, stopping short when she turned around and they were face to face.

"Break room. Now." She pointed towards the other side of the bull pen, turning on her heel and leading the way.

They passed Esposito and Ryan on their way. "Ooh, someone's in trouble." Espo sing songed, and Ryan held a fist to his mouth, sucking in a breath.

"Ouch."

When they were both alone in the room, she shut the door and faced him. With his shoulders bunched up and his eyes wide, he looked like a child getting disciplined. Or like an author getting yelled at by his publicist. Or an idiot getting scolded by the mother of his child.

"What are you doing?"

"I wanted to see your pretty face. And by face I mean ass." He smirked at her.

"You're a _pain_ in my ass." She rubbed her forehead, working out the tension that was building up.

He shot her a suggestive look, not uttering a peep.

She raised her hand at him. "Enough." Kate huffed out a breath. "Your life's goal is to drive me completely insane, isn't it?"

"Only slightly." He pinched his fingers so there was a tiny gap in between.

Kate rolled her eyes, popping a hip. "Rick."

"I'm kidding, Kate!"

"No you're not." She shook her head, walking to the counter and pouring herself a cup of coffee even though she already had half a cup at her desk; nervous habit.

"I'm sorry! I just need something to go off of since Storm is ending."

Kate's eyes snapped to his. "You're killing off Storm?" She couldn't help but feel sadness at the news. She had once sat with Castle in their tiny apartment throwing ideas back and forth for Castle's first series. They wanted their hero to be smart, cunning, edgy, and definitely good looking. Thus, Derek Storm was born within a few hours with the help of Chinese takeout and a white board. It was something they had done together; now it was ending.

"He was getting old, boring. There was no story left, ya know?" Castle sat in one of the chairs facing her.

"I thought he was doing well." She mumbled.

"Come on, Kate, he was getting over done. I didn't want to kill him off, but what's done is done."

Her eyes met his again. "You already wrote it?"

"It's being released in a week." He folded his arms across his chest and nodded.

She changed the subject, not wanting to talk about it anymore, suddenly becoming angry again. "I can't believe that you've weaseled your way in here. This is my _job_. You do realize that this is an actual precinct and we deal with real murders, right?" She turned from the counter as he got up from the table and stood facing her.

"That's why I'm here." He stuck his nose out towards her.

She inched forward, intimidation dripping off her tongue. "If you get in my way I'll break both your legs, kay?"

He pushed the limit and leaned in just a little closer. "Kay."

They stood nose to nose until both saw something in their peripheral vision. Espo and Ryan watched them from outside of the break room, until they noticed that they had been caught; deer in headlights.

Kate shot them a look, and both men looked towards their shoes, scurrying off in different directions.

"I'm serious. You get in my way and you're done. No excuses, I don't care what Montgomery has to say. Got it?" She pointed a finger at his chest.

"Got it." He nodded.

"Good." She turned on her heels again, strutting out of the break room and over to Ryan and Esposito.

They were both looking quite busy with their noses in files, completely ignoring Beckett and Castle.

She rolled her eyes. "Stop it."

Espo looked up. "Oh, hello. We didn't even see you there."

Ryan smiled at her. "Hey."

"Anyway." She shook her head. "Castle's going to be with us for a couple of weeks. I guess." She rolled her eyes again. "So say some stuff and teach him things, and keep him out of my hair."

"Ah, ah, ah. Montgomery said he was shadowing _you_." Espo wagged his finger at her. "He's all yours."

"Yay." She turned towards the direction of her desk.

"Hey, don't sound so enthused!"

"Trust me, I'm thrilled." She sat at her desk, pulling up a document on her computer.

Castle sat next to her, looking around the room. "So, what do we do?"

She glanced away from the screen. "This. If there isn't a murder, I have paperwork. And if there isn't paperwork, there's a murder."

"Seriously?" His forehead bunched up in response.

"Mhm. Really glamorous, isn't it?" She teased, taking a sip of coffee.

Just then, Montgomery walked over with a stack of papers. "Mr. Castle, I have your liability contract that needs filled out. Shouldn't take you more than an hour." He set the document in front of Castle, handing him a pen.

Castle went to protest when Espo called over from his desk. "Got a fresh one!"

Beckett got up from her desk and grabbed her coat from the back of her chair.

"We have a murder?" Castle stood quickly, a fire lit in his eyes.

"I have a murder, you have paperwork. Ooh." She shot him a smile before she strutted towards the elevator where Ryan and Esposito were waiting for her.

"Very funny." He called out after them. He sat back down as the three waved at him as the elevator doors closed.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Hi there!**

**I am overwhelmed by the response to this story! Being a relatively new Castle author, I knew I'd have to build up to some of the writers already here, so thank you so much for your kindness in the reviews, favorites, and follows.**

**Also, thanks for being patient with my gaps between chapters. I try to get them done as soon as I can.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Rick finally finished his "freaking paperwork" after multiple distractions in the same amount of time it took Kate and the boys to canvas the scene and set up the murder board. Kate had followed two leads, brought in a suspect, and got a full confession all within five and a half hours of the body being found. Robbery gone wrong. Case closed.

"That's it?" He stood at her desk as she plucked the pictures off of the board and laid them flat in the evidence box.

"They're not all about you, Castle."

"Well I wasn't expecting that, but still!"

"Oh calm down." She erased the rest of the writing off of the board.

He opened his arms and gestured to the room. "I want a weird one!"

"I like the weird ones."

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Oh do you?"

"You ruined it." Kate turned, poker face, with the box in her hands and walked towards the elevator.

"Where are you going?" He met her stride and caught her as the doors opened.

"Down to evidence. All I have left to do today is paperwork. You might as well go home."

"Nah, I'll stay." He crossed his arms.

"No, you won't. I don't want you staring at me while I just sit there."

"But you're oh so beautiful." He leaned in and pursed his lips.

"Uh uh, don't even try. See you tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow." And with that, the doors closed, leaving Castle alone on the homicide floor.

"So?" Alexis pounced on Rick the moment he walked through the door that night.

"So, what?" He shrugged his coat off and threw it at her, and strode towards the kitchen.

She, in turn, threw it on the couch, and followed him, sitting at the bar across from where he stood. "So, how did it go?"

"It was boring." His face squished up at his admittance.

Alexis stopped short. "Huh?"

"I had paperwork and when they got back they solved the case in like two hours. Lame." Castle brought a beer out of the fridge and turned to Alexis.

"Oh." She was shocked, honestly.

"Just means I'll get to cause trouble tomorrow." Castle smirked and took a swig of his drink, winking at Alexis.

"Or you could go there to _work_ like an _adult_." He rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah 'cause that's so outrageous!"

"I'm going to the precinct to research for the new book."

"Here, I'll save you some trouble. Write a book about a gorgeous, smart, witty teen growing up in fabulous New York City in an upscale loft with her writer father and cop mother." She crossed her legs and held herself daintily, batting her eyes.

Castle looked at her in mock confusion. "Pretty sure that's already been done."

Alexis slumped. "It would be a biography."

"Ahh." Castle nodded.

"So how's mom?"

"She's fine. Chinese for dinner?" He flashed her the menu.

"Yeah, sure. But I mean _how's mom_?"

Castle looked up from the menu. "Alexis."

"Richard." She mocked.

"You know, I should have expected you to grow up and be like me."

"Duh. Don't change the subject, kay?"

He took another drink of his beer and tipped it to Lex.

"I'm sixteen."

"Ha, when I was your age." He stopped and stared at the wall behind him. "I can't tell that story. It's wildly inappropriate." Alexis glared at him for changing the subject again. He looked at her as seriously as he could after thinking about the "wildly inappropriate" night that involved a fair amount of alcohol and the absence of clothing so many years ago. "Your mother is fine."

"Have you shown her the dedication yet?" She pushed her hair behind her ears as she spoke.

"Nope. Chicken lo mein?"

"Yeah, that's fine. But are you gonna?"

He shrugged. "She'll see it eventually."

"No, I think you should show her."

"How? The books not out for another week! Egg roll?"

Alexis pointed at her eyes and then to his. "Dad, focus! You have an entire box of advanced copies in your office." She pointed to the room across from them. "And yes I want an egg roll."

"Maybe I'll show her later this week right before it officially comes out."

"Do it for me?" Alexis stuck out her lower lip, puppy dog eyes as big as ever.

"Ugh not the face." He grit his teeth and blinked at her twice. "Fine, I'll show her."

"I knew you'd see it my way." She leaned over the bar and kissed him on the cheek. "Now order food, I'm hungry."

He bowed facing her. "Yes your majesty."

Once he was off the phone, Alexis started digging for answers again.

"So I have a question." She was still seeking answers from when she talked to Kate last.

Rick sat on the couch as Alexis flopped down across from him. "And I have an answer."

"When are you and mom going to admit that you still like each other?"

He took a swig of his drink, thinking of what to say. "Too ruggedly handsome to answer that."

Alexis cocked her head. "Dad."

"Alexis, it's been a long time since we've been together. Things change." He got up again, going back to the kitchen. He opened the fridge, producing a can of whipped cream.

Alexis trailed behind, taking post on the bar seat. "So?"

"It's different now."

"Hey, it worked once, and you got me out of it. I'd say that's a pretty good deal." She crossed her arms on the bar and rested her chin on them. "Like I told mom this weekend, I'm pretty great."

"And so modest." He teased.

He thought about everything for a minute. How great they really were back then. How he'd never felt it necessary to date again, even with all the women that materialized in front of him. How heartbroken he was when the ended, and how much he regretted letting it happen. And even more how all of a sudden they were in each other's lives almost every day.

She'd never been much into fate, more uniform, but he was a strong believer in the universe doing things that made sense. She always did things by the book, and he let the pieces fall where they may. He liked to think that things would happen, for a reason, and when they were supposed to. Spending two weeks working with your ex was a pretty good sign if he did say so himself.

Before he thought about it anymore, he shook the can of whipped cream, aiming the nozzle at his mouth. After a long squirt, he offered one to Alexis. "Baby bird?"

She gave him a disapproving look. "You're going to spoil your dinner."

"Your loss." He responded by taking another long drag from the can and smirking at her when he was done.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

**Hi there!**

**I'm so sorry for the delay on this chapter. This one was a challenge, because I included a case in the next two chapters. And let me just say I give Marlowe and the rest of them credit; even my simple tiny little case was hard to write. **

**That being said, I know this story is more about love and what not, so after this case, it will get back to the root of the story. I thought it would be fun to at least attempt a case since he is there to shadow her.**

**THANK YOU for all of your reviews. This story also now has over 200 follows and I cannot believe it. I am truly overwhelmed!**

**Enjoy**!

* * *

Castle jolted awake to the sound of his phone ringing next to him. He peeked at the clock on his bedside table. 6:45. He let out a groan and reached over to answer it. "Castle."

"I'm obligated to call you."

"You always sound so thrilled when you talk to me." He rubbed his eyes with his free hand and then clicked on the lamp. He listened and could hear her heels clicking through the phone.

She huffed and stopped walking. "Are you coming?"

"Yes ma'am!" He sat up and swung his feet around the side of the bed. From the sounds of it, she was closing her door and making her way down the hall, the elevator dinging in the background.

She huffed again. "I'll text you the address."

"See you soon, Katherine." Castle cooed into the receiver.

And with that, the line went dead.

Castle stretched upwards, making his way over to the bathroom. His phone pinged, the address of the murder popping up on his screen. "This better be a good one."

* * *

Within twenty minutes, Castle was out the door and heading to his first real case; no one had ever been so excited about a murder in all of mankind.

He stepped over the threshold of the scene, looking a little too giddy, before Kate materialized in front of him, a hand on his chest.

"Easy there, tiger."

He craned his neck to look past her. "What? I wanna help!"

"Or I could debrief you first before you see the body." Nothing registered on his face, so she spoke again. "It looks like a suicide, but Lanie won't know for sure until she gets our vic on the slab."

"It _looks_ like a suicide?"

"People do some crazy things, Castle, like pose bodies. That's why we're here." She led him down the hall and spoke quietly as they walked. "Emily Quinn, 27, single gunshot wound to the head. Time of death is between two and four AM. One of her neighbors went over this morning to go jogging and found her."

"So she did kill herself?" He questioned.

Kate bit her lip. "She may have, but there's signs we look for to prove otherwise."

"Signs of forced entry?"

"That's one of them." She nodded. "But in this case there wasn't."

"So if she was murdered, the killer had a key?"

"Or it's someone she knew."

"Anything else?"

"It looks like our vic has bruising around her wrists and on the finger that pulled the trigger."

"So that's what really sealed the deal, right?"

"Pretty much."

They turned one last corner and made their way into the apartment, the space swarming with activity. Castle took a step into the room and saw the body for the first time.

Kate, despite her many colorful feelings towards him, was utterly impressed by his composure. He kept any snide comments to himself, locked behind a set line of his lips. He wasn't outrageous or theatrical or idiotic; until he reached out to touch the chair the body was sitting in.

Kate's eyes grew wide as she reached out to stop him. "No, no, no, no. Gloves."

Rick stopped and backed up, reaching for the blue latex gloves Kate pulled from her pocket. "Right, sorry, rookie mistake."

"Yeah, well, don't let it happen again." She nodded, a slight eye roll in her down cast gaze.

"So now what do we do?"

Espo walked in and spoke. "Just talked to the neighbors. They said they heard fighting last night. They recognized Emily's voice, but not the other."

"Does the building have security cameras?"

"Yeah, but we're going to have to wait a couple of hours before anyone's on duty to get them for us." Ryan spoke from next to Espo, looking at his notepad.

"Lanie?" Kate turned to get her attention.

"Hmm?" She continued writing on her clipboard.

"Got anything else for us before we head back?"

"Not that I can see right now. I'll call you when I get her back."

"Okay, thanks." Kate said before turning to the door and making her way back to her Crown Vic with Castle in tow.

* * *

They finally arrived back at the precinct, all members of the party going to their desks before meeting in the middle to start the board.

Espo spoke first. "Turns out, Emily didn't have any family. Only child and her parents died in a car accident two years ago."

"Significant other? Friends?"

"She had a boyfriend, Scott Warner, but we can't get a hold of him."

"Okay, find him and bring him in." Kate added the information to the board.

"I need coffee." Castle yawned obnoxiously and stood up.

"Break room." Kate muttered as she wheeled the dry erase board out of the closet.

Castle walked back into the bullpen a moment later with a mug of coffee and a sour look on his face. "This may be the worst coffee I've ever tasted." He took another sip, for reasons unknown to anyone in the room. "It tastes like a monkey peed in battery acid. Here, try some." He held out the mug to Kate.

"I'm good, thanks." She raised an eyebrow at him as he sniffed the mug and took a third sip.

Espo hung up his phone. "Boyfriend just showed up at the crime scene."

"Bring him in."

Thirty minutes later, Scott sat in interrogation, his heart ripped into a million pieces. Apparently, he had been out of the country for two days on business and was going to see Emily today. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her before she died. With his alibi locked tight, they released him to grieve for his girlfriend of over two and a half years.

"Poor guy." Castle sat in his chair beside Kate's desk after Scott left the bullpen.

"Yeah, Castle, it sucks."

"You know I give you mad props for dealing with this day in and day out." His expression was serious and unlike anything Kate had seen in a long time.

Kate gave him a small smile. "Thanks, I appreciate it. And props to you too. Not many people can be so poised their first murder."

"I'm a man of many talents." He leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head.

Kate rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. "Mhm."

Just then, the elevator doors opened and a delivery man walked up to them. "Richard Castle?"

"That's me." He raised a hand.

"I've got your package."

"Thank you very much, you can wheel it this way." Rick got up and started walking away from her desk.

"Castle?" Kate straightened, and Espo stood to follow.

He led the man to the break room, Kate clicking quickly behind them.

"Since your coffee is basically crap, I bought you guys a brand new espresso machine." He rubbed the box, a grin on his face.

"Seriously? Did you buy a Starbucks or something?" She folded her arms as he started removing pieces from the box.

"Only the espresso part." He stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Fantastic because we should all be worrying about lattes right now." She stated, a hand on her hip.

Ryan pushed into the room with the rest of them, his face in his notes. "Hey guys, just got done looking at security footage with Tori and." He stopped then, and looked up. "Ooh, new coffee machine? Freaking sweet!" He fist bumped Espo who was keeping a poker face for now.

Kate could see how proud of himself Rick was and quickly put an end to it. She rubbed her forehead, already exhausted. "Ryan, what were you going to say?"

"Oh, yeah, right, just got done looking at security footage with Tori and there was only one person that came and then left the building within our time frame."

"Do we know who it is?"

"I was getting there." Ryan straightened his tie. "We had the image taken over to the apartment, and the doorman identified her as Courtney Tellers, a frequent guest, and Emily's best friend."

"And do we know where Courtney is?" Kate questioned, leaning in.

Ryan shook his head. "Not a clue."

"Find her." Kate pointed at Espo and Ryan and walked out of the room, eager to get down to business.

It wasn't until she was out of ear shot that Castle spoke to the boys. "Alright, who wants a latte?"

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

**Hi there!**

**Just wanted to let you all know that I will be on vacation this week and will not be posting another chapter until I'm back. Hopefully this will tide you over until then, but if not, I have plenty of other Castle stories in my profile. :)**

**Thank you as always for all your sweet words in the reviews and for favoriting and following.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Are you gonna show her today?" Alexis bounced down the steps, sitting at the bar opposite of Castle who was making breakfast for the two of them.

He scrunched up his nose, focusing on the stove. "Ehh."

"Dad, you promised." She crossed her arms at him, her eyebrow doing that thing that all three of them did.

Castle smirked at her. "I can't be held accountable for what I promise when I'm hungry."

"If you don't show her, I will."

"You wouldn't." His head shot up and all cooking stopped momentarily.

Alexis leaned forward and pursed her lips at her father. "I'm the daughter of Richard Castle and Kate Beckett, oh yes, I think I would."

He clenched his jaw and blinked her look away. "Fine, I'll show her today."

"I knew you'd see it my way." Alexis leaned back in her chair, a smug smile on her face. She poured herself a cup of coffee, sipping as Castle spoke.

"I guess I can't be mad at that." He shrugged.

"Nope, not at all."

Castle flipped his omelet once more and set it in front of Alexis. "S'morlette?"

She wrinkled her nose up, pushing the plate away from herself. "Ew, dad, that's disgusting." She took a quick glance at her watch and jumped up from her seat. "Besides, I'm going to be late." She swung around the bar, pecking a quick kiss on Castle's cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too. Make good choices." He called after her.

"I won't do anything you wouldn't." She shouted from halfway out the door.

"Funny."

Alexis poked her head in the door one last time. "And dad?"

He acknowledged her before she spoke again.

"Show her today, please."

His expression softened. "I will."

With one last smile, Alexis closed the door behind her and left Rick to the rest of his morning.

* * *

They hadn't had any luck the previous day with finding Courtney Tellers, the best friend of their murder victim, Emily Quinn. No card activity, no sightings by the neighbors, absent at work, and no GPS to track her from. They currently had an APB out for her, and were diligently watching for any sign of her.

"Good morning my friends." Castle entered the bullpen, a coffee in one hand, and a copy of his book held tightly under his arm. He greeted Espo and Ryan who were already working on their computers.

"Morning, dude."

"Where's Beckett?" He looked towards her desk and then towards the break room, realizing that she wasn't there.

Just then, the elevator doors dinged open again, and Kate flew in. "My freaking cruiser broke down."

"All is well." Castle sat down in his chair and set his coffee on the desk next to him.

She pointed. "Is that for me?"

"It can be." He sat like a deer in headlights thinking she was referring to the book but then quickly realized she was talking about the coffee.

"Good, I need it." She took it quickly, taking a long drink before settling in to continue on with the case.

* * *

It was quickly approaching six o'clock when Castle knew he was running out of time to show Kate the dedication in the new book. They had finally found Courtney hiding out in an empty apartment in her building, brought her in, and got a full confession. He had promised Alexis he would show her, and now he was out of excuses not to. They had finished the case, and all he had left to do was hand over the book and let it happen.

Kate was in the break room alone; the situation creating itself. Why he was nervous, he didn't know, but he took a deep breath and waltzed in. "Hey."

"Hey." She answered, not paying any attention.

"I got something to show you."

She turned, then, and was met with an outstretched hand and a book she didn't recognize.

"It's the last Storm book. I had a couple of advanced copies and I thought you should see _it_ before it went public."

As soon as she heard _it_, she knew what he was referring to. She took it gingerly, flipping to the second page of the book.

_To Kate, thank you for everything._

She kept her eyes on it for a moment more before meeting his eyes. "Thanks." She gave him half a smile.

She had no clue what exactly he was trying to do with dedicating another book to her. They weren't together and they hadn't been together in a very long time. And now all of a sudden he's here at her work and showing up more than usual and dedicating _another_ book to her.

She closed the cover softly and tucked the book under her arm, pushing past him to gather her things at her desk.

He followed a safe distance behind her and stood waiting. It wasn't until they made it to the elevator that realization hit her. She put a palm to her forehead, closing her eyes. "My cars not going to be ready for another day."

"I can have my driver take the both of us." Castle chimed in.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes when he wasn't looking. "Fantastic." But in reality, it was a better option than paying for a cab, so she had to accept.

Neither of them spoke the entire ride down or while they waited for the black SUV to pull up for them, until he finally spoke.

"Are you seriously mad about the dedication?"

She turned to look at him, a worried crease in her forehead. "I just can't figure out what you're trying to pull with this."

He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking bashfully at the ground. "I'm just, just trying to make amends. You and I both know it's not over." He looked back up at her. "It never was."

She nodded and turned to face the street again. "Yeah, well you're going to have to try a lot harder than that."

The car finally pulled up, and both loaded silently, sitting on opposite sides of the back seat. Castle made small talk with the driver until it grew silent, leaving Kate the perfect opportunity to think about why Castle had to try harder than what he was as they sat in traffic.

* * *

_Alexis was nine months old when Kate was in the thick of training. She would come home utterly exhausted, everything aching and dead tired. Her brain would be whirling with new information, and the desire to solve her mother's murder in the back of her mind. But most nights she didn't care, because she got to see her little family for just a few minutes before she passed out and got ready to do it all again._

_But on this particular night, things did not go as usual. Earlier that day, she had been caught in evidence in the homicide portion of the precinct. She had been reprimanded, and utterly embarrassed in front of her classmates. So when she walked into their apartment, all she wanted was to eat, see her little girl, and curl up in bed with her boyfriend._

_When she entered the space, Castle was sitting on the couch, so engrossed in his writing that he didn't notice her enter._

"_I'm home." She walked over to the kitchen and set her things down on the table._

_She didn't get an answer, just a grunt._

_She walked over and removed the laptop from his lap._

_He tried to reach for his laptop, but all focus was lost. "Hey! That's the first good zone I've been in for two months!"_

"_Sorry, I just need to talk to you."_

_He rubbed his forehead and stretched his fingers. "It's fine. What's wrong?"_

"_I got yelled at today." She sat next to him, and he took her hand._

"_Why?"_

"_They caught me down in evidence looking at my mom's file." She bit her lip._

_Castle breathed out, staring at their hands. "Kate, why don't you just back off of it for a while?"_

_She pulled her hand away, physically backing away from him. "Excuse me?"_

"_You know that I stand by you and your decisions, but you're so caught up in this. You need to pay attention and not hold onto ghosts."_

_She stood, then, not even knowing how to respond. "Castle, this is about me, this is about my life. How could you say this?"_

_He stood, trying to calm her down. "I don't mean completely give up, I mean just take a breather from it. It seems like we haven't seen you in months."_

"_I am trying the best that I can. All you do is sit here and write all day! Is that how it's going to be, really? You get to sit and do whatever the hell you want and I have to go and do a real job?" Kate gestured to his computer._

"_Are you serious? Kate, this is going to be my career. Just like you're going out every day and doing what you love, I'm here every day trying to do that too. And I'm here with Alexis and doing housework, and anything else that needs done. You come home almost every night and go straight to bed. Alexis is going to grow up and not know you if you keep this up."_

"_I'm here for her! And I'm going to be here for her as long as she needs me." She threw her hands up and then placed them on her head._

"_And what about me? I feel like you don't even care anymore. It's like I'm the third option. Work and your mom's murder coming before me. Do you know how insulting that is to have your girlfriend put you behind work and a murder?" He gestured to two invisible beings and then to himself._

_Kate pointed a finger at him. "How dare you. You know I care more about you than anyone I ever have."_

"_Well you have a funny way of showing it." He put his hands on his hips._

"_Rick please, please don't make this about us." Kate closed her eyes, and when she opened them, there were steady tears rolling down her cheeks._

"_I'm sorry, how isn't this about us?" "You keep digging yourself farther and farther down this rabbit hole, investigating and becoming more and more distant to your family, we'll never see you. You'll come home pissed off and you'll take it out on us. You know that this can happen." He paused and let out a shaky breath. "You know this, and I don't think you care. Now what does that say about us?" He raised an eyebrow, his eyes glazing over with tears thinking of what might happen to them. He took a step towards the door._

"_Rick?" Kate called from the living room._

_He grabbed his coat from the closet and stopped, facing the door. "I can't be here right now." _

_Then, she was alone, the apartment slowly filling with the cries of her baby girl._

_The next morning, she packed a bag in their bedroom as Rick watched from the doorframe. When she was done, she kissed Alexis, smoothing her hair. "I love you." She whispered. "And I'll be back, I promise."_

_She approached Rick, tears in both of their eyes. She reached up and touched his cheek. "I'll be back." He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and breathing out slowly. Then, she took her hand away, wiped her eyes, and walked out the door, everything changing for good._

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

**Hi there!**

**I'm baaaaack. Finally, after a week of absence, I'm back to writing this story. Thank you all for your patience!**

**Also, I cannot begin to express my gratitude for all of you that took the time and responded to my author's note. It really helped to see that you all care so much about this story. So THANK YOU. I hope this starts to make up for everything.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Alexis heard his keys in the door and bolted for it to hear about how his day had gone. But, when she saw his face, she knew it couldn't have been good.

"What happened?" Was the first thing she said, her shoulders slumping.

Castle threw his things on the couch, and went straight for the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of red wine and poured himself a glass, took a sip, and then stood silent. He pushed his tongue to his cheek and looked towards the ceiling, trying to figure out what to say. "She didn't really like it." Vague.

"What do you mean she didn't like it?" Alexis narrowed her vision, completely confused. "I thought that you guys were doing well?"

"Things change I guess." He took a long, slow drink from his glass, giving Alexis a small smile.

"But it's a dedication in a _book_."

"Alexis." He shrugged past her and sat on the couch.

She followed right behind him, not paying attention to anything he was saying. "How could she not like it? How could anyone not like it?"

He tried again. "Alexis?"

"Why is she being like that? It's completely and totally ridiculous!" Alexis opened her arms, a sour look on her face.

"Alexis!" Rick raised his voice, breaking her out of her rant.

She stopped, and sat next to him, her hands in her lap. She sat there quietly for a little more than a moment. "Dad?"

He rubbed his forehead with his free hand, really wanting the interrogation to stop. "Hmm?"

Her outburst changing to the voice of a little girl. "What happened between you and mom?"

"It just didn't work." He told her quickly. A response so rehearsed, it didn't even have to be thought of for it to tumble out.

"No, dad, what really happened?" She whispered, trying to make eye contact with him.

He looked at her, then, prepared to tell her what she'd been trying to know for years now. "You really want to know?"

"Please?" She scooted closer to him.

"We had a fight. She was in training, I was starting to write. We were both stressed. On top of that, she was starting to really look into your grandma's murder and that just added on to it all. One night she came home and we fought; it shouldn't have even happened, we were both just so tired and irritable. We said things, and then I left, and then the next morning she left. She promised she's be back. She did, but only to work out custody things with you."

"Dad."

"We really wanted it to work, we really, truly did. Both of us knew that we shouldn't have let that come between us, but you know how stubborn we are. We couldn't admit even to ourselves that either of us were wrong. And that's how it's been for sixteen years; stubbornness."

"I'm sorry, Dad." She gave him a sympathetic look, hugging him from the side.

He pulled her to him, kissing her on the top of her head. "It's okay, Pumpkin. It's not your fault."

_It's not yours either_. "So what did she say when you showed her the dedication?"

Castle huffed out a breath, setting his glass down and running his hand through his hair. "She said that I was going to have to try harder than that."

"Seriously?" Alexis sat up, annoyance in her voice. "She's the one that left."

"It's fine, really. No big deal."

"But Dad."

He cut her off. "Alexis, this is why I never wanted to tell you. Now please, let it go. You have to be over at your mom's tonight anyways."

"But it's only Thursday."

"Gina decided I needed to have a last minute release tour, and I'm leaving after I drop you off."

"I don't wanna go." She shook her head and folded her arms across her chest.

"Well you don't have a choice." He stood, pulling her up with him. "Everything's fine, okay?" He attempted a smile for her sake.

It must have worked, because Alexis softened, a small spark coming back to her eye. "Okay, but you better get me a really great souvenir." She pointed at him and then hugged him quickly before turning towards the steps.

"I always do!" He called after her as she walked upstairs to get her things ready to leave. He stood there after he couldn't see her, letting the conversation he had just had sink in. He probably shouldn't have told her everything, but it felt good to finally have someone hear him out.

* * *

Alexis let herself in, throwing her bag on the couch.

Kate heard her from the other room and came to greet her. "Hey." Her gaze went to the door. "Where's your dad?"

"He dropped me off. Had to get to the airport." Alexis said dryly.

"Oh." Guilt washed over her and her expression fell. She was hoping he would come up so she could with any luck work things out with him.

Alexis crossed her arms. "Dad told me what you said about the dedication. He also told me what happened between you two when I was a baby."

Kate closed her eyes and pulled at the hem of her shirt. "Alexis, please."

"Do you realize how hard he's trying? He dedicated a book to _you_." She gestured to Kate, a sour look on her face.

She pulled her hair out of her face. "I know, hun, it's just hard."

Alexis flung her arms in the air and placed them on her head. "Well make it un-hard or something. You've both admitted without actually admitting it that you two never should have broken up."

"I know."

"And this past week? It's the happiest I've seen either of you in a very long time."

"I know."

"It's time for dad, and especially you to stop doing this stupid dance and fix things. You need to stop being so stubborn and realize that all of this is wrong. You need to make it right."

"I know."

Alexis pushed past her. "I'm going to my room."

Kate turned to watch her walk down the hallway. "We haven't eaten yet."

"I'm not hungry." She yelled back before slamming the door and locking it.

Kate stood in the living room, her arms at her sides, at a complete loss. She couldn't believe Rick had told her, but Alexis had every right to know, and every right to feel upset about it. Kate was in the wrong and she knew it.

That night, Kate lay in bed staring at her phone. She had Rick's contact up, a goofy picture of him he had snapped one night when they were getting along. Her finger hovered over the call button. She had to talk to him, but she had no idea what to say, no idea how to get past sixteen years and fix things. She was scared and alone; the person she trusted most the one she was trying to mend things with. This was hard; so, so hard.

Before she could reason with herself, she locked her phone and threw it on the bedside table. She would worry about it tomorrow when her mind was fresh and she had a good night's sleep. She was done being so stubborn and letting time tick away like it was nothing. She had to fix things. She had to be worth the thank you dedicated to her.

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9

**Hi there!**

**Here's chapter 9. Thanks for your continued support.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Friday morning, and all Kate had to do was get through this day and then it was the weekend. Her alarm went off bright and early, reminding her that there were still bad guys to catch, and still a writer to make amends with. Not to mention the teenager that was still dangerously angry with her.

But with good reason. After everything that had been said last night, Kate knew that Alexis' outburst was completely justified. What child didn't want their parents together? And how confusing and frustrating was it to see them interact on almost a daily basis, and not do anything to rebuild the bridge? Kate had an idea of what she was feeling, but she knew that all three of them felt differently about the situation.

Rick was hurt, she suspected. She knew the man, and the look in his eyes after she told him that he had to try harder was absolutely heartbreaking. The hardest of all tries and she had shot him down. Now he was stuck with his crazy publicist, unable to communicate with his family.

Alexis was mad; so extremely angry at Kate for pushing Rick away and for leaving so many years ago. She was taking it out on Kate, and she could handle it, to an extent.

And although she was able to channel what those around her were feeling, Kate had a hard time determining what exactly she herself was feeling. She was antsy and apprehensive about what was to happen next. She was sad about the gist of it, and she was happy, hopeful of what might come next. She could deal with having mixed emotions, but all she wanted was to talk to Rick.

The apartment was completely silent when she emerged from her room, dressed and ready for work. The living room was dark, and the kitchen was empty. There was a travel mug of coffee on the counter with a note resting underneath.

Had to be at school early. –Alexis

So now Alexis wasn't even staying for breakfast. Kate huffed out and crumbled the note in her fist, throwing it in the trash. She took a sip of the lukewarm coffee and poured herself a bowl of cereal. Kate sat down at the table and pulled out her phone. She sat there with his contact pulled up until her cereal went soggy. Eventually, she knew she had to actually call him, and not sit there pretending she was. Her stomach turned in on itself, flipping over and over.

She'd never been nervous to talk to him, but under the circumstances, she was scared as hell. She had practiced what she was going to say over and over again last night until it was all she thought of in the dark. But once he picked up, she would lose it all. With one shaky breath, she dialed Castle's number, but was met with his voicemail instantly.

"Hey, Rick. It's me. I really need to talk to you. If you could call me that would be great." She paused a little too long before finishing her message. "Hope the tour is going well. Bye."

She ended the call and combed through her hair with her fingers. It was then that she realized her hands were shaking and she had that tingly feeling in her toes; she was _physically_ nervous. Dammit.

"Shit." She realized she had to be at work in twenty minutes, so she grabbed her coat and ran out the door without a second cup of coffee.

After a long day of catching killers and inner turmoil about a certain phone call, Kate finally made it back to her apartment. On the way, she tried calling Rick again, but ended up getting the voicemail and leaving a similar message as before.

* * *

When she made it through her front door, Alexis was already in the kitchen making dinner.

"Hey." She hung her coat on the back of her chair and slipped her keys over the ring above the sink.

"Hi." Alexis didn't even turn around.

"Whatcha making?" Kate prompted.

"Dinner."

"Vague, okay." Kate nodded and sat down at the table. "Have you heard from your dad?"

"Nope." Alexis continued to move around the kitchen, speaking as minimally as possible.

"Not answering his phone?" She tried to sound as carefree as possible, when in reality, she was freaking out.

Alexis dropped two plates of stir fry on the table and plopped down across from Kate, her head down. "He's been busy all day."

"So you _did_ talk to him?" Kate leaned towards her, trying to get just a little more information from her.

"No, he gave me his schedule before he left." She huffed, annoyance evident in her tone.

Kate sat back. "Oh."

The rest of dinner was spent in silence, Alexis finishing ten times faster than she normally did.

She stood, slipped her plate in the sink and made for her bedroom. "I have homework." And with that, her door was closed, keeping Kate out.

She could only assume she wouldn't see Alexis for the rest of the night. So she made her way to her own bedroom, changing into shorts and a baggy t-shirt. When she climbed into bed, she sent Rick one more text.

_Please call me when you can._

She could feel the pull of sleep as soon as she got in bed, realizing just how exhausted she was. An early night wouldn't hurt anything.

* * *

The next morning, Kate waited almost half an hour after she heard Alexis' door open until she realized she wasn't coming in her room as she usually did. She checked her phone for the millionth time, still no notifications of a single call or text.

Eventually, Kate got up and made her way into the kitchen where Alexis was already eating.

"Good morning." Kate offered her a smile.

"Morning." Alexis widened her eyes at her. Good enough.

"Sleep well?" Kate poured a mug off coffee and sat in her designated seat.

"Yup." Alexis slurped the milk from her bowl and took a drink of coffee. There was an awkward silence until she noticed Kate checking and rechecking her phone. "Gina doesn't let him have his phone on when he's touring. You of all people should know that."

"Okay, Alexis, enough! I do know that. I'm trying here, cut me some slack. Do you think this is easy? It's not. I'm sorry that you're angry at me, but I promise you, I am doing what I can with the circumstances. Your dad isn't exactly easy to reach at the moment." Kate stood.

Alexis went to speak, but Kate turned, making her way to her bedroom.

She climbed onto the bed and dialed his number again, only to listen to his chipper voicemail message.

'_You've reached Richard Castle. I can't take your call right now, but leave a message and I'll get back to you.' Beep._

"Hey, Rick, it's me again, I'd really appreciate it if you called me. It's important." Kate hung up the phone and threw it next to her on the bed. She held her head in her hands, letting out a long, slow breath.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you." Kate looked up to see Alexis standing at her door, her arms folded tight to her chest.

"You had every right to be angry with me." Kate nodded at her admission, scrunching up her lips.

"I know this, but I can't blame just you." And I can't blame just dad either. I can't really blame anyone." She shrugged.

Kate extended an arm to her, a small smile spreading on her face, welcoming her daughter to close the distance between them.

Alexis returned her smile, crawling into bed with Kate and hugging her tight.

"You can blame me all you want. I deserve it. I'm stubborn and irrational, and sometimes I'm just scared. But I'm trying to make things right."

Alexis held Kate's hands in hers. "Do you think it'll all be okay?"

"I hope so. I truly do."

"I want you two to be happy, no matter what, but I'd like it a lot if you were happy _together_." Alexis smirked at Kate, bumping her arm.

Kate couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh. That was her girl. "I know, hun. I promise, as soon as I can make things right I will."

"You know, I wasn't going to tell you this, 'cause I was mad at you, but dad usually checks his emails on his computer. He gave Gina some bull crap story that he gets inspiration to write while on tour. The only inspiration he gets while on tour is to check the mini bar. Anyway, I would try that."

"You know how much I love you, right?" Kate smiled, the whole thing covering her face.

"A lot?" Alexis pursed her lips mockingly.

Kate hugged her tight. "A lot plus one."

Alexis laughed and hugged Kate back. "Well I like you a lot plus two."

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10

**Hi there!**

**Thank you for all of your support and for always taking time and letting me know what you think about the story. It makes me so happy!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_I'll call you when I land._

She sat cross-legged in her bed, her computer resting on her lap, a smile spread so wide across her face you could see it from a mile away. She had finally emailed Rick, and after staring at her screen for two hours and holding a paranoia with her when she was away from it for another hour, he finally responded to her desperate pleas to speak to him.

He would be landing back in New York Sunday early-afternoon.

It was now late Saturday afternoon, rain just starting to ping off of her windows, and collect in the gutters above her. The sky was darker than usual and the thought of going outside made her cringe; the perfect excuse for a lazy Saturday to wait for Rick to call her when he landed, and thanks to Alexis, who was working on homework, she knew that he was landing soon for a signing in Pennsylvania, one later that afternoon in Jersey, and then a flight the next morning back to New York.

Another hour later, her phone lit up and she answered it on the first ring. "Hello?"

"You wanted to speak to me?" His tone was completely flat.

"Rick, hi." She pushed her hair back behind her ears and closed her eyes.

"Is everything okay?"

She sat on her knees in the middle of her bed, her phone in one hand, and the other in her lap. She hadn't been this nervous to talk to anyone since her freshman year homecoming when her date asked if he could kiss her. "Yeah, everything's fine, I just wanted to talk to you about the book. I'm sorry, I never should have been so."

He cut her off. "You're really going to do this over the phone?" He basically spat it at her; with good reason.

"No, I- I guess not." She tried to sound confident, but her hands were shaking and her pulse was faster than a race horse.

"You completely shot me down and you think apologizing over the phone is going to make it okay? Kate, this isn't the first time you've done something like this. How about the time sixteen years ago when you left?"

She tried not to get emotional, but her eyes were stinging, and her nerves continued to make her uneasy. "I know, Castle, that's why I want to talk to you. In person."

"Well I think we have a lot more to talk about than just the book."

"I agree." She nodded to herself.

"Look, I'll talk to you when I come and get Alexis tomorrow. I'll call you when I'm on my way over. My driver's here, I have to be at my signing in thirty minutes."

She placed the palm of her hand over her forehead. "Okay, thank you for calling me."

"Mhm." After that, she was met with a click and the line went dead.

She tossed her phone so it landed gently next to her as she rolled onto her side into a ball. "Oh hell." She breathed out. She couldn't tell if that had gone well, or extremely bad. He had been short with her. She knew he would be, and he absolutely deserved to be. But he also agreed to talk to her. That was a victory in and within itself.

Either way, he was giving her a chance; a chance she probably didn't deserve in the slightest. But one thing she knew above anything else was that Rick Castle had faith in her. Whether from the very beginning with Alexis and being young parents, or when she decided to join the academy, or even all of her accomplishments as a detective, he always saw something in her. And that faith and trust in her was enough to give her a chance to fix the damage done.

She finally sat up again after she could keep her breaths even. She reached for the copy of the book that had been sitting on her nightstand ever since he gave it to her in the break room. Derrick Storm stood heroically on the cover, a dazzling display of dark reds and blues surrounding the title: _The Killer Storm_. She opened it to the dedication and ran her thumb over the print over and over. _To Kate, thank you for everything. _

Thank you for what? Being a complete bitch to him, or for destroying his attempt at bridging the gap?At least she didn't have to wait sixteen more years to fix it this time.

* * *

She woke up the next morning, rain still hitting her window. A low grumble of thunder rumbled her windows, the storm still passing over. When she looked at her clock, she was shocked to see that she had slept in well past usual. Thinking she had missed a phone call, she threw herself at her phone, but had no missed calls, emails, or texts. It was nearly eleven, and still no word from Rick.

Instead of worrying herself to death, Kate made her way to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. It was silent, she assumed Alexis was sleeping in too. So she sat silently at the table, catching up on the news, losing track of time.

Nearly an hour and a half later and three cups of coffee gone, Kate still hadn't gotten any calls. He was supposed to have landed ages ago.

"Morning."

She turned to see Alexis enter, her robe tucked around her.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." She offered her a smile.

"I can't believe I slept that late." Alexis yawned and tousled her hair.

"Well you didn't miss much." Kate rolled her eyes and checked her phone again.

Alexis took a mug from the cabinet and plopped down on the couch, completely unaware of her mother's demeanor.

'Finally,' she thought as her phone started to buzz beside her on the table. But Castle's ID wasn't the one flashing on her screen. It was a random number, one she recognized but couldn't quite link to any particular place.

"Hello?" She tried not to sound like she was nervous, but something deep inside of her was leading her to believe something bad had happened. Whether it was her detective's instincts, or her spiked anxiety over the past few days, Kate couldn't help the tingles that shot through her.

"Ms. Beckett?" A well-rehearsed, flat toned woman answered her. Something about the phone call wasn't right. Something about it didn't scream redemption from her long lost lover. No, she felt in her gut something much different.

"This is she?" Kate's stomach rolled. Something wasn't right.

"My name is Lauren Perry at Lennox Hill Hospital. You were listed as Mr. Castle's emergency contact. There's been an accident."

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

**Hi there!**

**I hope I didn't cause you all too much anxiety! I promise I'm not going to do the cliche amnesia thing! But I did hurry up and write this to put you all at ease!**

**Thank you all so much for your responses to the last chapter! Love you all.**

**Reading this it kind of seems like it could be the last chapter, but its not, promise!**

**Also, follow my Castle instagram. _alwayscastle . All I post is Castle stuff cause I can't on my personal! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

She stands frozen in her spot in the kitchen, her feet glued in place and her eyes stuck wide open. A deer in the headlights. Her stomach flips and she's sure she's going to vomit all over the floor. Kate doesn't compose herself fast enough, because Alexis looks over at her when a mix of a cough and a cry travels through the room.

"Mom?" Alexis jumps up from her spot, spilling half a cup of coffee on the hardwood. She rushes over as Kate sits down at the table and stairs at the pattern that the grain makes; it spins in all different directions, much like the thoughts in her head at this very moment.

"We have to go to the hospital." Kate shakes her head and stands, but makes no effort to move. She can't, the impact of the news making it impossible for her to know what to do next. Any detective's instincts have vanished, and full on family member panic has set in.

"Mom, what happened?" She was frantic now, pulling on Kate's arm like a toddler.

"Your dad was in an accident. He's at Lennox Hill."

Alexis' eyes widen, her hands traveling up to cover her mouth. She's never been in shock, but she's pretty sure this is what it would feel like.

Kate finally realizes she was still in her pajamas and curses the fact that she let herself sleep in so late. She jumps, snapping out of the trance she's in and yells over her shoulder as she runs to the bedroom. "Lex, get ready. Hurry up."

Alexis runs after her and does as she's told. They have to be there ten minutes ago.

* * *

Kate raced through getting ready, only stopping to grab her keys and make sure Alexis was in tow. She dove into her cruiser and flipped on the siren, completely abusing her power and resources.

"Did they say what happened? Is he going to be okay? Mom, he has to be okay." Alexis pulled her hair back and wiped at her eyes. The panic in the girl's voice was something Kate had never heard before.

She tried to sound strong for her daughter, but her voice was just as shaky when she attempted to calm them both. "Alexis, I don't know. I'm trying to get there as fast as I can so we can find out." She removed one death grip from the wheel and held onto Alexis' shaking hand over the middle console. They needed each other, but more than anything they needed him.

They tumbled through the doors of the emergency room and were met with a uniform who recognized Kate right away. "Detective Beckett? Officer Johns, I was on the scene of the accident."

"Hi, what happened?" She tried not to snap, but she needed details, now.

"The SUV Mr. Castle was riding in hydroplaned and the driver lost control. He tried to correct it and then over corrected. The car flipped twice and rolled down an embankment. Luckily, they were both wearing seatbelts. All six airbags in the car were deployed and the windows on both sides of the car were broken. We got a call from someone who saw the accident happen and a team was on site within seven minutes."

"How was he when you got him out?" She shut her eyes, hoping for the best.

"He was conscious, but kind of out of it. They were asking him questions and he was answering, but they didn't want him to move because of his injuries. I'm sure he was in shock too. He seemed okay, but I'm not sure what happened after they got him into the ambulance. Go ahead and check in with the receptionist and I'm sure they'll let you know as soon as they can, alright?" He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her in the direction she needed to go, knowing that even the strongest people, when faced with uncertainty, need a little help.

"Thank you." She took Alexis' hand and attempted to give the officer an appreciative smile, but she knew it came out more like a grimace.

Once she checked in, they sat and had to do the hardest part of all of this; wait.

"Family of Richard Castle?" A tall, older man with salt and pepper hair materialized from the double doors across the room. He looked strong and well-rehearsed, certain of what he was doing.

Kate shot up and ran towards where the man was standing. "That's us."

"My name's Dr. Herron, I was on call when your _husband_ was brought in." He paused at husband and said it almost as a question, but Kate made no move to correct him.

"Is he going to be okay?" Alexis practically yelled, unable to take the suspense any longer.

"He's pretty beat up, but he's going to be okay." Dr. Herron nodded as he told them that he would make it; he would come home.

"Oh thank God." Kate breathed out and hugged Lex tight. Alexis leaned into her, audibly exhaling in relief.

The doctor continued. "He suffered head trauma, causing a slight concussion, there's a hairline fracture in his right arm and one in his left femur. The major injury was the broken rib. Now usually this wouldn't be a substantial injury, but it was close to puncturing the left lung, so we took him into emergency surgery to correct it and get the break away from the lung. Other than that, there's just minor bruising, scrapes, and scratches. Honestly, he's very lucky his injuries aren't more severe."

"I wanna see him. When can I see my dad?"

"I can take you both back to his room now. He's still recovering from surgery so he won't be totally awake for a little while longer."

"Thank you so much." Kate shook his hand when he extended it, and tried not to trample him when he led them back to Castle's room.

They stopped at the door, and Dr. Herron spoke again. "When he's released, we'd really like someone to be there with him. Just with the surgery and recovery. Is there someone who will be staying with him?"

"I will." Kate didn't even hesitate, knowing that he needed her now more than ever. She wasn't going to let him do this alone, just like she knew he would never let her either.

Alexis' gaze shot up to her, but she didn't say a word. Excellent.

"Great, okay." He nodded. "He's right in there. I'll give you guys some privacy. If you need anything at all, just press the red button on the wall."

"Again, thank you so much." Kate was so grateful to the people that helped Rick, she never thought she would stop thanking them. She pushed open the door, and saw him. Castle laid there on his back, breathing evenly. He was hooked to only a couple of machines, and had an IV in his arm. From far away, most would probably think he was sleeping. Walking closer, Kate noticed a scrape over his left eye, and one traveling the length of his forearm. Then there was the incision from the surgery and the concussion that they would have to deal with later.

"Dad." Alexis walked over and stood there.

Kate walked closer still and stood behind her. She put her hands on the girl's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "You can hold his hand, Lex."

The redhead inched forward, sitting on his right side. She hesitated, and then took his big, papa bear hand and held it in her two, tiny ones.

Kate palmed the back of her head and kissed the top of it again before sitting on the opposite side of him and taking his limp hand in her own. "Hey Rick. It's me, Kate, and Alexis." She drew small circles on his hand as she spoke, and then reached up and fixed a lock of hair that fell over his eye. "We're gonna be right here when you wake up, okay?"

"We love you, dad." Alexis spoke up, kissing the back of his hand.

They sat quietly for another half an hour, making small talk in the silence of the room. Finally, Castle started to stir, first with a groan, and then his eyes started to twitch under his eyelids.

"Rick?" Kate said quietly, running a hand up and down his arm gently.

"Hmm." He breathed out, his eyes still closed.

"Dad, we're here." Alexis' lips started to turn upwards as her dad finally opened his eyes just enough to recognize the two people that loved him the most.

Kate smiled as well as he turned his head to look at her. "I'm home." He mumbled, a sly grin on his face.

A laugh caught in Kate's throat as she looked towards Alexis whose smile was bigger now. Alexis threw her arms around Castle's neck and hugged him lightly, avoiding the stitches. He wrapped his free hand around her back, and pulled her just a little closer.

Kate still held onto his hand, tears springing to her eyes. She choked on a sob, and covered her mouth with her free hand. She'd never been more grateful ever in her entire life.

Not two hours ago, she wasn't sure if he was going to be taken from her; taken from them. She didn't know if Alexis would be left without a parent like she had been. She didn't know if she would have to grieve and console and hurt because he was taken from them. Not to mention, before she got the chance to show him how sorry she was for being so selfish and inconsiderate to his feelings. Before she got to make things right just as she'd promised Alexis she would. Now, she sat with him and their daughter, thanking God that he was awake and that he would be okay.

She planned on wasting no more time being afraid of her own mind and what could be with them. If there was a chance that they could make this work, then that's a chance she wanted to take. Even if it wasn't always smooth sailing, she wanted to show him that she did appreciate what he did and who he was and what a large part he played in her life. She wanted to show him all they could be. She wanted Alexis to have a unified family that ate dinner together and went to shows on the weekend, and group texted even though that was embarrassing and 'totally uncool'. She wanted to try and pick up from where they left off all that time ago, because how much had they actually changed since then? If the past couple of weeks was any indication, not much at all.

They were meant to be and they all knew it. Even though she couldn't stand him sometimes, their chance meeting in the precinct was something that she would always cherish. She now saw it as a second chance. A second chance at love and a second chance to live the life she had always dreamed of having with Rick and Alexis.

Sitting here with his now was a little shove from second chance number two, showing her that life could change in a blink of the eye and not always for the better. This was her big reminder to not hold anything back and make the move to be the person she wanted to be. Second chances don't always make themselves available, let alone, despite the circumstance, bring you straight the thing you want to fix. She was luckier than most; that was for sure.

It was then that she noticed his looking at her. "Hey." She whispered.

"Hey yourself." He picked up his hand with hers still in it and poked her nose.

She couldn't help but laugh again as she squeezed his hand.

Yes, he was home, and he was going to be alright. _They_ were going to be alright.

* * *

**Please review!**

**xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi there!**

**Thank you for continuing to enjoy this story! I love writing it just to see how you all will react! You guys are incredible!**

**I'm trying to find this "organic end" that Marlowe always speaks of, and I think I'm getting closer. We'll just have to wait and see where my brain goes next.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Two days later, Rick was released from the hospital. His recovery was going rather well, said all of his doctors, especially for only forty eight hours passing since the initial surgery. He was given orders to stay off of his feet for obvious reasons for his ribs, and to let his femur heal properly. He wore a removable cast on his arm, and was given a strict no writing rule until the bone was healed and typing wouldn't be a problem. The concussion was treated with some Tylenol and lots of naps; something he wouldn't have a problem with. But until he was cleared for normal activity, which would be at least a month, he was stuck in the loft.

Kate helped him maneuver the furniture, a hand on his back, and one looped with his arm, him still being shaky on his feet. The medication that had been pumped into him like oxygen still playing fun with his ability to think straight. But Kate moved with ease through the loft, knowing from past experiences how to get from point A to point B, and at least where to find the things she'd need to make dinner and shower at the end of the night.

She helped him sit, the bed being her objective for him even though he argued he wanted to be on the couch. She won after a quick staring contest at a red light on the way home. He stood no chance, his exhaustion making it impossible. So, she had won, and he hadn't said another word; those were the rules. Kate stuffed pillows on both of his sides and stepped back to look at him.

"Kate?" He asked her.

"Hmm?"

"I'm not two." He grinned at her and then closed his eyes.

"I know, I'm just making sure you're all good."

"I'd be good if you let me sit on the couch."

"Uh-uh, I already won that one. Besides, you're going to be sleeping basically all day. The last thing me or Alexis needs is to try and wake you up to have you come right back here. May I remind you, you're not a light sleeper."

"Fine, fine, you win." He waved towards her, eyes still closed.

He changed the subject, trying to get him settled in. "Are you in any pain?"

"Not at the moment." He breathed out.

"Do you need anything?"

"Just a glass of water maybe."

"I'll be right back." She offered him a smile and headed out towards the kitchen.

Alexis was right there waiting for her. "Have you-"

"Nah!" Kate held up a finger to silence the girl. "We will talk when I'm done helping your father. Sit." She proceeded to point down towards the couch, and Alexis dropped into the end seat. Kate continued into the kitchen, and then made her way back into Castle's room, Alexis watching all the while.

When she got back, he was still, his eyes closed and breathing even. She would have bet money that he had already succumbed to the pull of pain meds, but when she set the glass down next to him, he opened his eyes.

"Thanks."

"No problem." She smiled and, without any understanding as to why, ran a hand through his hair. She pulled back quickly, a blush running hastily up her neck to her ears. She stepped back and crossed her arms in front of herself, trying to look casual.

He must not have noticed, or cared for that matter, because he spoke again. "No, I mean thank you for agreeing to be here for me right now."

She softening a bit, unfolding her arms. She offered him a warm smile. "I could never leave you alone, Rick. You know that."

"Mhm." He closed his eyes again, this time staying quiet after that.

"Get some sleep. I'll be right in the living room if you need anything." She whispered.

"Kay." He murmured and then breathed out heavily.

She stood next to him a moment more, watching him and admiring his features. He really was a handsome man. It didn't take long for his breathing to even out and for Kate to realize that he was asleep, and he would be for a couple of hours. She gave up her post and returned to the living room, knowing there was a redhead waiting there to talk to her.

"Have you talked to him?" Alexis sat with her legs curled up under her, facing the door to the office. Kate had barely made it through the doorframe before Alexis started her interrogation.

Kate shook her head and sat down next to her. "No, he still has some of those pain meds coursing through him. He's a little happier and calmer than I'd expect him to be during this conversation." She rolled her eyes then, thinking of what was to come.

Alexis grabbed Kate's cheeks, her eyes wide. "Katherine, take this opportunity."

Kate mocked her, grabbing the girl's cheeks in her own hands. "I'm getting there, sassy pants." She laughed and kissed Alexis on the nose, then got up and headed towards the kitchen. "We'll talk when he's ready, or not loopy. Whatever comes first."

"What if he's never ready?" Alexis smirked and raised her eyebrow, trying to start trouble.

"Oh he'll be ready." Kate shot back with a doubly arched and raised brow. "And don't try to out eyebrow me. I'm the queen of this castle, honey."

"Yeah yeah." Alexis giggled and stuck her tongue out. "You know, you really could be the queen of _this_ _castle_." She gestured towards the entire loft, hinting to Kate that this could be a norm.

"I told you, we're gonna talk." She pursed her lips, giving Alexis a gentler expression. "Just not at this very moment."

"I know." Alexis rolled her eyes, patience wearing thin. "You were in there for a while. Did you talk about _anything_? Anything at all?"

Kate huffed and turned to look at her. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Mom?" She folded her arms, another habit she had acquired over the years from both parents.

Kate mocked her. "Alexis."

"Answer my question."

"You first." Kate narrowed eyes.

"Fine. Pizza. Your turn." Alexis made the same face Kate was making; eyes narrow, lips pursed, and sass to the max.

"No seriously you're too good at that." Kate looked honestly impressed at her daughter's abilities. But being raised by both her and Castle, it shouldn't be that surprising.

Alexis giggled. "I know, now talk."

"Fine, he just told me that he was thankful that I was here and I told him that I would never leave him alone in this type of situation."

"Ooooh." Alexis sing-songed, leaning over the back of the couch. "You guys _love_ each other."

_Getting there._ "We'll have to see." Kate shrugged, trying not to seem to over eager about righting her wrong doings.

Alexis made her way over to the bar and plopped down across from where Kate was standing. "But in all seriousness, I'm really happy that you're here. And I'm honestly impressed that you stepped up and said you would do this for dad."

Kate walked around and hugged her daughter. She couldn't help the tears that sprang to her eyes. Yep, she had a pretty great kid. At least she and Castle were doing something right. "Thanks, Lex that means a lot." She pulled back and leaned against the bar. "I would do anything for him, no matter what. Just like he would do for me. You know that, right?"

"I know, I just wanted to let you know what I was thinking."

"Isn't that totally uncool?" Kate over exaggerated.

Alexis shrugged her shoulders sarcastically. "Nah, you're pretty cool, so I guess its okay."

Kate stepped back in mock surprise, a hand placed lightly on her chest. "Hold the phone, did my teenage daughter just tell _me_ I was cool?"

"Repeat that and we'll have problems." Alexis pointed a stern finger at Kate, then dove into her hug, both ladies holding tight.

* * *

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**xoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi there!**

**Here it is! The long awaited CONVERSATION! This doesn't mean that the story is over, but we are nearing the end.**

**That being said, with school starting soon, I will be going back to writing one shots instead of stories until break. I'll start accepting requests when the time comes.**

**I want to again thank you all so much for reading and taking the time to review. It makes me incredibly happy to know you enjoy this.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

They let an entire week pass. One whole week of Rick heeling, Alexis nagging, and Kate procrastinating. They did a dance around the loft, coexisting, living, and acting as if nothing was wrong. But both Kate and Rick knew much better than to think that this arrangement was purely for his health.

No, because there was a giant elephant right smack dab in the middle of the room. An elephant surrounded by two tiny mice, scurrying around its feet. Both trying to avoid it, but knowing they would get trampled eventually. It was only a matter of time.

Once Kate noticed Castle moving around just a little better, and finally starting to get his oh so unique spunk back, she knew she had to give him a little push to _finally_ have this conversation.

She had taken time off of work to stay with him like she promised, and had been staying in the spare bedroom next to Alexis' room ever since. It was ironic, really, how fluid their routine was in the loft. It was almost too dynamic; almost like it was meant to be. But none of them were getting ahead of themselves.

She woke early, her subconscious becoming antsy with the thoughts that had been running through it. She had made up her mind last night that she would talk to him this morning. She was getting uncomfortable with herself for putting it off. Especially having been ready to say it all over a week ago. It was well over due. So she peeled herself out of bed and made her way into the kitchen to make two cups of coffee.

When they were ready, she stood at his door, a mug in each hand. "No time like the present, Kate." She took a deep breath, steadied her shaking hands, and kicked at the door to make her way through.

His blinds were drawn, the room grey. Kate opened the far blind, letting in enough light to make Rick stir. She tiptoed toward him, his eyes just beginning to open and adjust to the day.

"Good morning." She smiled and handed him his mug, the one that said "super dad" on it.

"Thanks." He sat up slowly, gratefully took his mug and took a slow sip. He set the mug down on the nightstand and returned his attention back to the woman standing in front of him. "Kate?"

She hadn't meant to make this awkward, but all of a sudden she realized she had been standing staring at him for far too long. All she wanted was to convince herself that this was the wrong time for this to happen and that she should just wait a little longer, but her heart was screaming at her to stop stepping over the problem like it was nothing. Because it was most definitely something.

So instead of running, she shook her head and took a drink of her coffee. "Sorry, just thinking." Then, she closed the tiny gap between her and the bed and sat cross legged catty corner from him. "Any pain this morning?"

He shook his head. "No, just a little sore."

"How's the head?"

"Doesn't hurt at all."

She smiled to herself, honestly thankful that his injuries weren't worse. "Good." Kate rubbed her fingers across the surface of her mug nervously, contemplating how she wanted to start talking about it. Did she blurt it out, or make a speech? It wasn't every day that you try to talk to your daughter's father about making it work sixteen years after the initial problem. But when had anything about them or their relationship been typical? It hadn't.

"Kate."

She looked up then and realized she had grown silent for too long; again. Dammit.

"What's up?" He prompted her.

"I think we need to talk."

He nodded once before sitting up a little straighter.

Kate took another deep breath and finally let her heart do the talking. No more running. "You know how I emailed you before the accident and told you I wanted to talk?"

He nodded, his full attention on her now.

"And I was trying to apologize for the book and _other_ things." Her forehead squished together, her thoughts so jumbled she was having trouble finding the right words to use. "And it just went bad. It wasn't what I wanted to say or how I wanted you to respond. But let's face it, nothing ever goes as planned or is easy, especially when it comes to us." She was rambling now, the words spilling out of her.

He stopped her short, feeling her anxiety. "Hey. Breathe." He didn't want her to stop, though, just slow down and make sense of what she was trying to say. He had been waiting for this and he was listening.

"Okay, sorry." She nodded and closed her eyes for a moment, letting her thoughts settle from a swarming mess to a soft buzz of activity. She had to get this right. "Anyway, I didn't blame you for being angry or short with me because I was a total bitch in the first place. I should have been so much more grateful, because I am. I could never thank you enough for everything you've done for me and Alexis." She paused, took a quick sip of coffee, and then continued. "When I got that call Sunday, I thought my whole world was going to fall in right on top of me. The thought of losing you in my life was enough of a kick in the ass to get me to where we are right now. I don't want to have to go through that again."

"And why are you telling me this?" He couldn't help but feel defensive towards her. She was trying to make up for walking out on him, sixteen years, and rejection. Yes, he was still angry.

She huffed out a quick breath and then lifted her gaze to his. "Because I love you. I never stopped."

"You know you basically chose your mother's murder over me, right? You gave up on us, Kate."

"I know, I know, I was stupid and inconsiderate, and I am in no way able to ever make up for what I did."

"Then why did you do it?" He shot back. "Why did you do any of the things that you did?" He didn't mean to raise his voice, he really didn't. But she was opening up old wounds; ones that never scarred over. "Why was it so important that you would risk getting into trouble to look into the case? You had me and your daughter there for you. Wasn't that enough?" He paused, running his hand through his hair.

Kate stayed silent, allowing him the time he deserved to let him go.

"I had to hope and pray that you would come back so that we could at least straighten things out for Alexis. If you hadn't, what would have become of her relationship with you or me for that matter? Why when I try to bridge the gap with a book dedication, our character ending might I add, the one we made together, you shoot me down and tell me that I'm not trying hard enough? How is that not trying hard enough? Kate, I've tried so hard, so many times. It's your turn."

She sat her mug on the ground, folding her hands in her lap. "I'm not justified in my actions, I know that. I was so caught in my mom's case that I couldn't see what I already had. I was young and stupid, and I let that carry on with me for far too long. And the book scared the hell out of me. I panicked. I've never been any good at feelings or expressing them. So I was short and mean and that's not okay. But that's why I wanted to talk to you. I'm done being that way. Accident or no accident, I had planned on saying every word. I mean every single word."

He folded his arms over his chest. "So what is it that you want?"

Kate bit her lip. "I want us back. Alexis is always asking me what happened. She wants to know if I still love you and why we're not together, or when we'll get back together. She sees us together and she's confused. I don't want her to be confused anymore. And I don't want to be confused either."

"You know it's not that easy." He was trying not to sound too eager or repulsed or annoyed. Frankly, he didn't really understand what he was feeling. But he could tell it was more compassion than hate.

"I know, Rick." She nodded.

"I can't say what you've said isn't true, but we can't just pick up where we left off."

Kate's voice was nothing more than a whisper. "I didn't expect us to."

He exhaled loudly, deep in thought. "I can't let all of that go so easily. You hurt me."

Out of all the things he'd said during their conversation that was the hardest for her to hear. She felt the tears start to form. Of all the things he could say, mean and dirty and nasty, that was the worst. She hurt him. She cared about him more than anyone in her life and she _hurt him_.

"Please don't cry." His expression softened.

"I'm sorry, I just hate what I've done to you." She wiped at her eyes and pulled her hair back. "I wish I could take it all back, honestly and wholey."

Rick shook his head. "You don't have to take it back. Just make it right. We can work on it."

"We can?" She straightened and met his gaze.

"Absolutely." He nodded, leaning forward and patting her knee. "Like I said when I gave you the book. Things between us never really ended. They were simply put on pause."

"I want this, Rick." She laid her hand over his and squeezed.

He offered her a small smile and leaned back against the headboard. "We'll take things day by day."

She nodded before standing and walking towards the door. She stopped and turned to look at him again. "Thank you for hearing me out."

He smiled. "Always."

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**Please review!**

**xoxo**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi there!**

**So sorry for the delay with this chapter. I do admit, this is somewhat of a filler and probably the last chapter with Alexis. After this, I'm expecting two or three more chapters and that will be it.**

**After this finishes, I'll be done with stories and will go back to one shots until Christmas break. With school, it's hard to write stories, study, and go to practice. I already have a few requests, and once this story is done, you all can request away for one shots you'd like to read.**

**Enjoy!**

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Kate tiptoed into the kitchen and stood with her palms pressed into the cool granite, a relieved, goofy grin spread wide across her face. She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back and breathing out slowly, the smile on her face still spread ear to ear. It was a similar scene to the one when Alexis had come home on a Saturday night, leaning up against the door, over the moon about her first kiss.

He accepted her. He heard her out and said that they could work on things. Not separate things. Not custody, not possessions, not sexually tense banter. _Things_. Things between the two of them. But now those things would have titles; feelings, emotions, thoughts, dreams, fears, distresses, happiness, and love. Rick told her that he was willing to work on all of these things because they were never supposed to end in the first place. Because he agreed that there was still something between them worth fighting for.

She stood up straight once her heart slowed back to normal and reached for the coffee pot, nearly jumping out of her skin.

"You were in there a while."

"Alexis." Kate whipped her entire body around to face the living room where her daughter sat perched in the armchair with a mug of coffee in her lap and a gentle smile on her lips.

"You look extra happy this morning. A little glowy too." She pursed her lips, her eyes flashing with the knowledge of what was happening.

Kate wanted, at least, to seem aggravated that Alexis had most likely been listening, but she couldn't. So instead of trying to come up with a stark comment, Kate just smiled even wider. "I am."

Alexis' whole face lit up as she scooted off the chair and raced into Kate's arms. She locked her arms around Kate's neck, her huge smile buried in her mom's shoulder.

Alexis had been waiting so long for even a thread of progress between her parents. Lately, more than ever though, she craved that close knit family that all her friends seemed to have. In this day of modern technology, she saw almost daily the pictures her friends posted of their families on vacation together, laughing and having the times of their lives. She wanted to be able to do the same. She wanted to feel normal. Sure, her parents loved her and did everything for her, but she wanted to see them happy and together in the same home. She wanted to not only have a family, but be a family. Now, she might finally have that chance.

Kate giggled as Alexis released her grip and immediately started asking questions. "So are you guys back together? What did he say? What did you say? Are you going to move in permanently?"

"Easy, easy." Kate held Alexis' shoulders, wanting to explain herself before the redhead took everything out of context. "Your father and I are going to work on things. We aren't together just yet, but we want to be."

Alexis nodded, signaling Kate to continue. "Okay."

"I talked to him like I told you I would. It took all this time to finally say it, but I did. And we both agreed that this is something worth trying. So that's what we're going to do." Kate gripped the handle of her mug, choosing her words carefully.

"Anything else?"

"That's it." She nodded and stepped back to lean on the counter. "It's still complicated, Lex. It's not going to become a piece of cake because we agreed on something. But it's a start."

"I don't care if it's complicated or the easiest thing on the planet. I'm so happy that you two are finally talking about your relationship." She held her hand son her cheeks, completely overjoyed at the prospect.

"I know you are, sweetie. So am I." Kate pulled her in for another hug. Not only was she making herself happy, she was making her daughter happy as well; that's what it was all about.

Once they pulled apart, Alexis made her way to the fridge. "So what are we doing today?"

Kate stood with her back against the island, facing the fridge. She rattled off the only thing on her mental calendar. "Well your dad has an appointment so I'll take him to that and then probably nothing."

Alexis pulled out an apple and took a bite. "Wow, you're so much fun." She said, crunching loudly.

"Enjoy the R and R." Kate rolled her eyes playfully.

"I'll enjoy it when I'm dead."

"True. Anyway, I have to take a shower." Kate saw Alexis' gaze flick to his closed bedroom door. "Uh, uh, don't you dare."

"I won't." Lex's eyes went wide, faux innocence taking over.

Kate narrowed her eyes. "I already told you all you need to know right now, missy."

"I said I won't!"

"Kay." With a last once over, Kate turned to the steps and made her way upstairs.

Alexis waited until she heard the bathroom door click shut and the water turn on before she scurried over to the office. She stood at Rick's door, hesitant as to if she wanted to go in. Of course she was planning on going in this whole time, even though her mom told her not to. But what if her dad got mad at her mom for telling her what they had talked about? It would ruin what she had been hoping for.

Before she talked herself out of it, she pressed her knuckles to the door three times. She needed to hear it from both of them.

She heard a muffled "come in" and peaked through the door. "Hey, dad."

"Hey pumpkin." He looked up from his phone and smiled.

She walked into his room and sat next to him on the bed, grabbing a pillow and setting it on her lap. "How are you feeling today?"

He put his phone down on the nightstand and turned towards her. "A lot better, actually."

"Good, I'm glad." She smiled towards him and then straightened. "I talked to mom. She told me not to talk to you, but that was obviously not going to happen." She rolled her eyes quickly for emphasis and then let her words hang in the air.

He crossed his arms, a teasing look on his face. "Yeah, and what did your mom tell you?"

Alexis' gaze fell to her hands and then flashed to meet her dad's as she spoke. "That you two were going to work on your relationship."

He raised one hand and an eyebrow. "Guilty."

"You are?" She straightened, a twinkle ever present in her eyes.

"Mhm." Castle nodded. "We think it's best."

"Are you happy about it?" She didn't mean to bounce up and down, but she couldn't help it; she had wanted to hear it from both her mom and dad, and here it was. Not to mention she had been hoping and praying to hear that her parents were back together just in general for a very, very long time.

"Yeah, Lex, I am." Rick nodded, weighing his next words. "We're going to take it slow. But the better question is are you happy."

"Dad, I'm so happy. I've been waiting for you guys to finally get to this point for so long now."

"I'm sorry that we made you wait."

"Whether this works or not, I'll be happy. And you guys should be happy too. You deserve to be."

"And I'm going to try very hard. So is your mom. Because we love you and we care a lot about each other. He opened his arms to her and she dove in just like she had with Kate.

"I love you two too."

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**Please review!**

**xoxo**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi there!**

**I hope I haven't kept you all waiting too long!**

**Thank you as always for responding and giving feedback for this story. I'm so thankful that you take the time to read and review!**

**I think there may only be one or two more chapters to this story. We are nearing the end!**

**Enjoy!**

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The next morning, Kate was up early, way before anyone else would be up for the day. She gulped down the rest of her coffee, setting the mug in the sink, and headed for the living room to grab her coat off the couch.

She hadn't been to her apartment in almost two weeks. She had packed a bag and moved into the loft at a moment's notice, and that was that. But she knew the bills would be there today and knowing that the space hadn't been cleaned in weeks made her cringe. She also had to run into work to see if she had missed anything. Being on leave, she wasn't supposed to miss anything, obviously, but she felt it necessary to check up on her team even if just for a couple of minutes. In short, she had errands to run, and it was probably going to take her all day. So she left a note on the counter and texted both Rick and Alexis to let them know where she was and why she wasn't there making coffee for them as usual.

But Castle must not have checked his phone. "Where ya going?"

Kate turned to see Castle standing in the doorway of his office, his arms crossed in front of him. His robe hung around his shoulders, tied at his waist. She must have looked guilty or caught off guard because he didn't look extremely happy.

"Why are you up?" _Way too defensive. _

He moved to lean into the couch, getting his weight off of his leg. "I heard you out here and wanted to see what you were doing? So, what _are_ you doing?"

"I was just going to run some errands today. I sent you a text and left a note. Since you didn't have any appointments, I didn't think it would be a problem." She ran a hand through her hair and slipped her coat on quickly.

The tension on his face melted away at that. She wasn't leaving; she wasn't running away. "Oh, okay. When do you think you'll be back?"

"I'm hoping a couple of hours. I need to pick up my mail and go to the precinct." She rattled off her checklist to him, suddenly not wanting to go.

"Cause I was thinking I could take you on a date tonight. Say, around six?" A sly grin took over his face as he sat all the way down on the couch.

Kate felt the blush creep up her neck as she looked at her shoes. She bit her lip and tilted her head as her own smile graced her lips. "Well that's sweet of you, but you're still not really supposed to be doing a lot of physical activity."

"I'll have it catered and we can have it right here in the loft." He had already planned the whole thing, it was just a matter of getting her to say yes.

"Hmm, I suppose that will work." She tapped a finger to her lips, sarcasm looming over her.

"So it's a date?" He lifted his eyebrows quickly, a certain sparkle in his eye.

A school girl grin was plastered on her face; she really didn't want to leave now. "Yeah it's a date."

"I'll see you soon." He nodded, getting up to pour himself a mug of coffee.

She waved at him. "See you." When she got to the door, she paused and watched him for a moment. He moved slowly around the kitchen, but with enough grace to make her want to close the door and join him. But going and getting done what she had planned would only make the proceeding night that much better. A date with Rick didn't seem half bad.

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By the time Kate made it back to Castle's building, the sun was heading towards the west. She hadn't planned on being out all day, she really hadn't, but the day had caught up to her and there was more to do than she thought. When she unlocked her mailbox at her apartment, the entire contents spilled out around her feet. It was then that she thought it would have been a good idea to take the extra half an hour every day to check the box, but too late for that. So once she got everything stacked neatly in her arms, she made her way up to her apartment. She set all the mail on the table and ended up noticing the fine layer of dust settled on the surface. And when she noticed that, she knew the rest of her home looked the same. It took Kate three hours to clean everything, and another hour to decipher what was growing in her fridge and how to dispose of it.

After her intense game of clean every inch of the apartment as fast as you can, she drove straight to the precinct where the boys were struggling with a case. So in true Beckett form, she stayed to help them "just for a minute". A minute turned into two hours way too easily. When she saw the clock, she screamed and ran for the elevator, leaving the boys to ponder her quick exit.

And just when she thought she couldn't get any more late, the traffic from the precinct to the loft was much like rush hour and less like 3:30 in the afternoon.

"Rick, I'm back." Kate hurried into the loft, throwing her things onto the arm chair in the living room. She raced into the kitchen to see the table set for two, candles and all.

"Crap, I forgot to grab something nice to wear." She stood, chewing on her thumb nail; nervous habit.

"Relax." Rick appeared from somewhere beyond the kitchen, a glass of wine in his hand.

"Rick, you shouldn't be drinking yet. Your surgery was."

"Shush, it's just for effect." He placed the glass on the counter and approached her.

It didn't take long for Kate to start explaining herself, her hand flying in the air as she spoke. "I'm sorry I'm late. I hadn't meant to be out all day. I thought I'd only be gone for a couple of hours and."

He cut her off again, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her around. He gave her a small shove towards the stairs. "Go upstairs and get cleaned up. There's a dress up there for you to wear. The food will be here in half an hour."

"Where did you get a dress for me?" She called over her shoulder as she jumped up each step.

"Alexis, now go!" He laughed as he pointed upwards and watched her bounce up the last of the stairs and scurry into her guest bedroom.

"Wow, you look stunning. I want a piece of that." Castle stood at the bottom of the stairs, lips pursed. His eyes traveled the length of her body, _twice_.

Kate laughed and held a hand up at him. "Slow your roll."

He held out a hand to her and she placed hers in his gently, letting him lead her to the table. They ate and made small talk, any tension or nervousness melting way the moment they sat down. It was so natural that it was almost scary.

Kate sat silently after she was finished eating, a faraway look on her face.

"What are you thinking about?"

She broke out of her trance and made eye contact with Castle. She breathed out heavily, taking a sip of her wine. "I'm thinking about all the time we spent apart. I know we've never really _not_ been involved because of Alexis, but we are missing sixteen years of this." She gestured between the two of them, signaling what they were doing now. "We've been apart for so long it's like 'how do we pick up from here'? It's scary, ya know?"

"I know." He sat back in his chair, listening to what she had to say.

"And it's hard to picture this going smoothly and working out how we want it to. The odds aren't really in our favor. I've never really been good at any of this either. I'm nervous."

"I know." He answered again.

She nodded slowly, picking her next words carefully. "But you are so important to me. You mean the world to me. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but that's what makes us _us_. I know sometimes we don't make sense and we fight and disagree, but that's no reason to spend our lives throwing our child back and forth and acting like there isn't something between us. Because like you said, it was never over. I'm willing to fight for this as long as you are."

There was dead silence as both Rick and Kate stared dead at each other. Rick finally got up, walked around the table and stood beside Kate. His arms hung at his sides and his mouth hung open in sheer shock. She sat in her chair, her hands in her lap, waiting for him to respond.

And in one fluid movement, he pulled Kate delicately out of her chair and crashed his lips into hers. He wrapped one arm around her waist and held her cheek with the other, holding her close to him. She leaned into him, her hands finding the nape of his neck. A low moan escaped her lips as years of built up desires slipped away. He pulled her closer, no closeness feeling close enough.

When the need for oxygen was too great to ignore, they broke apart, breathing heavily. He touched his forehead to hers, cupping her cheek delicately. "And you're so important to me. We can do this, Kate." He kissed her on the forehead and pulled her into him, holding her right in the middle of the dining room.

After that, he took her to bed, leading her to his room. They were taking things slow. Tonight wouldn't be their first time as a new couple, and it may not happen for some time. Because they were taking things slow and there was no need to rush. No, tonight they were simply there for each other. They were there to reintroduce the other to the feeling of being together. They were there to simply be in each other's presence and know that this was for real and this was what they both wanted. For now, kissing was enough to show each other that feelings were mutual. For now, falling asleep in each other's arms was enough to say "goodnight, my love, I'll be here when you wake up". They were taking things slow, and that never felt so good.

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**Please review!**

**xoxo**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi there!**

**Well, we've come to the end of Rewriting the Past. I want to say thank you to every single one of you for taking the time to read, review, favorite, and follow. Without you guys, there wouldn't be a story!**

**I have a couple of one shots to do, and then I'm back to school, so if you have any prompts, please send them in! I'll be doing those until I have time to do another full story. That being said, since this story was based off of a fan suggestion, let me know if you have any suggestions for stories you'd like me to write.**

**Thank you again.**

**Enjoy!**

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There's never been a truly perfect fairytale. No one gets a crystal clear, no bumps in the road ride. There's always going to be something that challenges you or makes you think.

In a world based on trial and error, perfection was almost non-existent. But perfection was what everyone strove for. That inevitably led to downfall; the realization that nothing is perfect, people make mistakes, and life goes on with its imperfect, trial and error ways.

That was the same for Kate and Rick.

They had been so young in the beginning, both new to the real world and looking for something better, something perfect. Naïve to their wake up call, both Rick and Kate had fallen into a deep and true love, one unlike anything either had experienced before. They were head over heels crazy for the other. It was perfect.

But things changed. It wasn't easy for Kate to go through life not knowing what had happened to her mom. And Rick had no sense of accomplishment, having grown up wanting something more for himself. So instead of being perfect together, they tried being perfect for themselves. So they each made a decision to do things for themselves. They made a choice that left the other out. That's the thing about free will: Every decision we make is a choice against something as much as it is for something else. They did it for themselves. They were working against each other.

And that's when it all came crashing down, because you can't be perfect in a world made of flaws. And you can't expect to be okay on your own. Even when things don't go as planned, you should never be alone. So they continued living in their non-perfect world, as the hands of time ticked on for sixteen years.

Sixteen years of finding themselves and uncovering layers of emotion and feelings they had never known they had. Sixteen years of being in constant communication but isolated from each other at the same time. Sixteen years of raising their absolutely incredible daughter. Sixteen years of a constant battle between the heart and the mind. Sixteen years of missing each other without any admittance of it. Sixteen years of wishing they had never tried to be perfect. Sixteen years was a long time.

Yet after sixteen years, they managed to find their way back. Some things end, and others are put on pause. Fate and destiny only get you so far; it's that little voice in your head pushing you to close the gap shortened by fate and destiny that finishes the job. Because there are some people that are so much a part of us, they'll be with us no matter what. Our solid ground. Our north star. The small, clear voices in our head.

And here Kate was, waking up in the arms of the man she had been loving all this time. She woke to the natural pull of consciousness, curling into Rick's side as she did. The light touched her skin, opening her eyes to the day and days ahead. This could be normal; waking up next to Rick, making breakfast, kissing him goodbye in the morning, coming home to him after work. She could live in the same house as her daughter and be around for more than the weekends. They could celebrate holidays together and buy each other gifts. They could create family traditions and favorite meals. Something as simple as writing a grocery list for the entire family. Things that seemed so trivial to most was what all three of them craved to have. This would be her new normal.

She remembered when she met him. He was handsome, young, his features still changing with each year. His build was muscular, broad. He carried himself well, like he was important, or like he knew he wanted to be important. He looked almost the same now, the only difference being the laugh lines around his mouth and the crinkles by his eyes from years and years of charm. He was still strong, but now he was important. He was somebody; he had gotten what he wanted.

She had been there at the beginning, and she was here now for their new beginning.

They were here now because they had both finally accepted that perfection wasn't an option, but living with challenges and over-coming them together was as perfect as it was going to get. Finally accepting that truth was what put them in this position now.

Kate let out a content sigh.

Rick responded by tightening his grip around her small frame and running his hand up and down her arm. "Are you okay?"

He thought back to the first time he saw Kate. She was guarded, her demeanor timid and unsure. But her eyes told a different story; her eyes were her giveaway. He noticed the look of determination on her face, the look that he had grown to know and learn about and cherish. She was strong; she had made herself that way. Still to this day, her eyes told that same story, but now she was so much more confident in her own skin; it was amazing for him to see.

"I'm perfect." She twisted her body and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him quickly. She settled onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck again, and placing a kiss on his forehead. "And you?"

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and palmed the back of her head. Slowly, he traced the length of her forearms with his own hands, and then let them settle at the small of her back. A cheesy, content grin, showing all the lines on his face formed on his lips. "Same."

All that time that they had spent apart, being the people they craved and seeing the world the way they wanted, the two came back together to fall into a natural rhythm that the world had set in motion sixteen years ago. It took coming together, falling apart, and a world of trial and error to show the two that what they had started was prematurely ended.

In a city full of dreams, they were going to make it.

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**xoxo**


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